Editorial: Help stop spread of tree killers

Posted:
08/28/2014 09:42:53 PM MDT

Updated:
08/28/2014 09:43:04 PM MDT

In many parts of the state, the trees have already changed color — and it's not because of a seasonal cycle. Mountain pine beetle infestations in forests throughout Colorado have killed millions of lodgepole and other pine trees, turning their needles orange and leaving entire hillsides to appear lifeless.

In the urban Front Range corridor, news has come about the spread of the emerald ash borer, a nonnative insect that could decimate the region's tree population in the next decade.

Another tree target, thousand cankers disease, has swept through some black walnut stands on the Front Range and now has been detected in the northwest part of the state.

Unfortunately, now is also the time in which those arboreal pests can make their biggest moves — with the help of unwitting humans.

The Colorado State Forest Service notes that one of the easiest ways in which nonnative insects have increased their range is through the careless treatment and transportation of firewood. Each year, as the weather turns colder, residents buy truckloads of wood to have at the ready for when the truly cold nights arrive in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, some may consider it a good deed to help a friend clear a dead tree from their property by chopping it up and hauling it to their home, not realizing they are carrying the tree's killer with them.

Advertisement

Foresters advise residents to burn firewood where it was cut, if possible, and not to take any home with you; ask about the origin of any wood you might buy from a third party, giving preference to those with local products; and to make sure wood has been debarked and cured if you are going to transport it locally.

Right now, a quarantine area has been set up for sections of Boulder County where the emerald ash borer has been found. It is against the law to transport raw wood out of the quarantine area.

If the region is going to maintain a healthy population of trees, humans are going to have to play a key role. First of those roles should be one in which we do no additional harm.

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story